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Monday, September 30, 2013

Hallie and I set off early this morning to catch a glimpse of magic. The Wizard of Oz was playing in IMAX 3D in Arlington. While many may wonder why we would

Waste the time and money to see alie we've seen a thousand times, it was truly a treat.

The drive to Arlington was filled with hilarious moments...Hallie talked non-stop. No joke.

Here's a glimpse of the one-sided conversation...

What town are we in? That's a funny name. What city does Nonna and Pop live in? Oh. Heflin. That's a funny name, too. And Abby and HG? Birmingham? Yeah...that's funny too. Why are all the names funny except ours (Waco)? Oh wow! Look at that building. It's at least 43 inches...inches. Inch. Have I mentioned about an inch worm before? Because I've seen one. Mommy? Have you ever been stinged by a queen bee? No? Me either. Mommy, who madeTexas? (I don't even have time to answer.) Whoever made Texas...I love those guys. And I love my house. And water. Do you want me to sing you a song? Are we still in Texas?

Me: Let's play the quiet game. :o)

Seriously.

That girl has some thoughts. Let me tell you. And one thought leads to another. And so on. And on. ...and on. On the way back, she put on a little "play" of manners. I wish I could have videoed it. It was hilarious.

Princess Hallie was invited to supper. She said thank you. Saying thank you is using manners. And that is the end of our video. Next video...Princess Hallie said Can you please pass me the salt? Thank you. Did you hear those manners? Please? Thank you? Those are both good manners. And that is the end of our video.

I seriously could not make this stuff up.

At the mall, we both sat glued to the big screen the movie was gorgeous. And I noticed things I had never noticed before. Afterward, we grabbed some lunch, bought a wrist band for the carousel ($2 for one ride or $5 for an all day band) and Hal rode the carousel probably 15 times! We did a little browsing and headed home. We stopped at the very sad Hillsboro outlet mall on the way back...snagged a few good deals and then made it home in time for supper.

Harper and Daddy had a fun day together. And Hallie and I had some much needed mommy-big girl time!

We *finally* made it to the movie!

Fun in the theater!

War Eagle!

Hallie begged me to ride with her. This was before. My face was surely a lovely shade of green afterward. I'm far too old

for the carousel! Haha!

We hit some pretty heavy rain on the way home. And then the sun burst through the clouds and we got this! Hallie sweetly said, "I know that a rainbow is a promise from God...He will never flood the earth again" Sweet words.

I can't wait for our next girls day. Until then...my ears will be resting. :o)

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Hallie made supper tonight...almost entirely by herself. I found some quick supper recipes on Pinterest and this one is definitely a keeper! Hallie had so much fun cutting the dough and pressing them into the mini muffin tin. In fact, except for breaking open the pizza dough roll and putting them into the oven, she did the rest on her own! They were delicious and will definitely be on the menu in the near future.

We used a mini muffin tin. The recipe I found used a regular size muffin tin and said with that degree setting, hers weren't quite cooked all the way through. So if you use a regular muffin tin, you might want to add a few minutes.

We were pleasantly surprised at how delicious these little mini pizzas were! And there was plenty to eat! Delicious.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

It's that time of year again...tap shoes, ballet shoes, tights, and leotards! We're starting year four with Joy's School of Dance and could not be more excited. We love the studio and we love the sweet friends we have made along the way. This little group of girls started together in 2010 and have shared wonderful memories since! I'm so thankful for this group of friends and for the moms--wonderful friends made through our little girls! Here's to a wonderful year!

Hallie is in first grade! It truly seems like it was just yesterday that we taking her to her first day of PreK3. And now she's six! Our sweet Hallie has a very rambunctious love for learning. She is so quick to learn new things and is so eager to try new things. I pray this passion carries her through her years of education and that she just continues to learn and grow in amazing ways!

This year, school is a little different for us. This is the second year that Hallie will be going to school with me. For me, it means that my mornings are no longer my own...the ride to school is filled with chatter. Sometimes I have to force myself to listen, knowing that if I listen now, Hallie is more likely to talk to me (to us) as she gets older. Sometimes the conversation is enjoyable. And it's almost always filled with questions. Lots of them. And that chatter carries on through school (which often gets her into trouble)...and the ride to pick up Harper from daycare...and the ride home...and until she closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep. That child always has something to say. :o) Another way it's different is that Hallie is in my building (each grade level has its own building). In fact, she is right next door. In fact, when my class is taking a bathroom break, I stand right outside her classroom door and often watch her covering her eyes with her headband, piddling in her desk, and poking the kid beside her to distract him from the teacher. And evidently she can feel my eyes burning a hole through her, because she often turns around and smiles a sweet smile and gives me the one finger wave. Oh. That. Child. But also, there are times when I'm standing there and I'm able to gaze upon her thinking about what her teacher has just said, or I catch her participating with a buddy in math, or I catch her offering an answer to a question. Those times are pretty amazing. Our sweet Hallie is very sweet and very loving...but she's also very rambunctious. But I'm learning that it's the age--you would think I could understand that, being a first grade teacher and all! Ha!

We are praying for an amazing year for our little girl. She is eager to learn about all the things Mommy teaches in first grade. So that's pretty cool.